Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 140

Mokṣopāya: Bhakti-rooted Jñāna and the Aṣṭāṅga Yoga of Viṣṇu-Meditation

Devanagari script

यद्यद्रूपं महाविष्णोस्तत्तद्ध्यायेत्समाहितम् । तेन ध्यानेन तुष्टात्मा हरिर्मोक्षं ददाति वै ॥ ४० ॥

Transliteration

yadyadrūpaṃ mahāviṣṇostattaddhyāyetsamāhitam | tena dhyānena tuṣṭātmā harirmokṣaṃ dadāti vai || 40 ||

Translation

Welche Gestalt Mahāviṣṇus man auch betrachtet, auf eben diese Gestalt soll man mit gesammeltem Geist meditieren. Durch solche Meditation zufrieden, verleiht Hari, dessen Herz erfüllt ist, wahrlich die Befreiung.

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; correlating pronoun (relative)

• यत्: whatever (each)
• यत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; repetition for distributive sense

• रूपम्: form
• रूपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महाविष्णोः: of Mahāviṣṇu
• महाविष्णोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाविष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् विष्णुः)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative (correlative)

• तत्: that (each)
• तत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; repetition for distributive sense

• ध्यायेत्: should meditate
• ध्यायेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• समाहितम्: collected, concentrated
• समाहितम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-√धा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adverbially ‘with concentration’ / or qualifies implied ‘मनः’

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन

• ध्यानेन: by meditation
• ध्यानेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• तुष्टात्मा: whose self is pleased
• तुष्टात्मा: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुष्ट + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्य आत्मा तुष्टः सः)

• हरिः: Hari
• हरिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मोक्षम्: liberation
• मोक्षम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ददाति: gives
• ददाति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)

Speaker

Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha-oriented discourse)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)

Secondary Rasa: shanta (peace)

Characters & Entities

• Mahavishnu
• Hari
• Vishnu

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It teaches that liberation is granted by Hari when a devotee performs steady, focused meditation on Mahāviṣṇu’s chosen form; the key is single-pointed contemplation (samāhita-dhyāna) that pleases the Lord.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Bhakti here is expressed as loving upāsanā through dhyāna: the devotee chooses a form of Viṣṇu and repeatedly contemplates it with inner steadiness, and the Lord responds with grace culminating in mokṣa.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse primarily highlights yogic practice (dhyāna and samādhāna of mind) rather than a specific Vedāṅga; the practical takeaway is disciplined mental concentration as a spiritual method.